Baseball

Seven of his teammates are preparing to play college baseball next season, so Makani Tanaka just might be among the best No. 8 hitters in any ILH lineup. The 6-foot-2 left-handed junior had a day on Friday, tying the game with a two-run triple in the second inning, and contributing to ‘Iolani’s go-ahead fifth inning with an RBI single. The Raiders’ 6-3 comeback win over Damien was tougher than the final score might indicate. Tanaka took it all in stride. […]

Coryn Iwamasa is roughly half the age of his counterparts, but his devotion to Waialua baseball is reaching fervor levels. Iwamasa played for Leilehua just six years ago before matriculating to UH-Hilo. There, the staff included Garrett Yukumoto, Kallen Miyataki, former coaches at Leilehua and Waialua, respectively. Iwamasa made his way back to Oahu and is now in his second year as Waialua’s head baseball coach. “I’ve had great mentors,” Iwamasa said, including his high school coach, Lane Watanuki and […]

Times change, but Eric Tokunaga teaches the timeless fundamentals of baseball. The Farrington coach is now in year five at the helm. The once-struggling program has flourished with old-school work ethic. The Governors won the OIA Division II title in 2018 and now have their eyes on a possible D-I OIA East title in ’21. They’ll have seven regular-season games to show what they’ve got. The Govs have a roster that includes several players who will suit up to play […]

Micah Banton is a coach and counselor. Sometimes, many times, the two roles intertwine. In the midst of a global pandemic, Kapolei’s second-year head baseball coach has spent much of the past year merging work and passion. “It’s about getting exposure. That’s why I was hell bent on getting these kids to college,” Banton said on Thursday before the Hurricanes hit the practice field. “I was calling coaches, making videos. I was on a mission to make that happen.” Banton […]

Skyler Tengan’s first season as Damien baseball coach is underway with a big thumbs up. Damien routed Pac-Five, 12-2, in six innings on Tuesday afternoon at Patsy Mink Central Oahu Regional Park. “I thought the guys played really well. We had really quality at-bats and didn’t try to do too much,” Tengan said. “Dyson Yasuda hit the ball really well along with River Iaea. Everyone 1-9 had good at-bats.” The Monarchs utilized ninth graders on the mound. “We threw our […]

No field, no problem. That’s the mantra Pac-Five baseball coach Paul Ah Yat knows by heart. The ILH regular season begins today, and his Wolf Pack are ready to compete. Somehow, they’ve gotten by without a field to practice on until this week because of the COVID-19 restrictions on fields across Oahu. “Today will be our first practice on a field,” Ah Yat said on Monday. “We’ve been jumping on whatever park we can get on the side. We’ll be […]

There has never been quite a baseball scenario like this for Maryknoll. Somehow, the Spartans continue to be effective, even in the midst of a pandemic without a field to call its own. Coach Alaka‘i Aglipay credits his players for rising above every hurdle. “Not having a summer or fall league has been challenging for our program. So once we got the green light, reestablishing baseball back into the student-athletes’ daily routine was great to see again,” said Aglipay, who […]